Thomas will present, “Alpine Archaeology in the American West: Indians in Unexpected Places” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in Cole Hall. He also will present “Repatriating Science, Race and Identity: Are We Still Fighting the Skull Wars?” at noon Thursday, April 10, at the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies.

Both talks are free and open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend the lectures, where they will learn more about careers and professional ethics in anthropology, archaeology and museums.

A member of the National Academy of Science, Thomas has organized and directed more than 100 archaeological excavations in the American Southeast, Southwest and Great Basin, including the discovery of Gatecliff Shelter in Nevada, the deepest archaeological rock shelter in the Americas.

Thomas is one of the founding trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian. His scholarly research focuses on redefining the relationship between the Native American and anthropological communities.